He can make you a modern Samurai in 10 days

Master Belraj, Kalaripayattu expert from Kerala is down in Mumbai to conduct a workshop. The man who taught Dona Ganguly how to leap and kick tells iTALK why dancers, sportspeople and urban professionals need to learn the mother of all martial arts

Scholars claims Kalaripayattu is the "the mother of all martial arts". Even the Chinese Shaolin chuan from the famous Shaolin temple traces its ancestry to Bodhi Dharma, an Indian Buddhist monk who was a Kalaripayattu expert. In Malayalam, the term Kalaripayattu means "practicing the arts of the battlefield". This martial art form was originally practised by warriors of Kerala to sharpen their skills in combat. Disputes between nobles were also settled by the outcome of a Kalaripayattu tournament.u00a0

In fact, the martial art form is the theme of Walt Disney's upcoming Indo-Japanese film starring Asin and Kamal Haasan. It stars Japanese actor Tadanobu Asano as a Samurai warrior who travels to Kerala to learn Kalaripayattu, and in the process falls in love with a desi princess.
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Asin is currently in Kerala taking a crash course in Kalari. But lucky Mumbaikars get the chance to learn the graceful and energetic art form at a 10-day workshop that Kerala-based Kalaripayattu Master Belraj Soni is set to conduct with his student Vipin Kazhipurath.

"A background in Kalari lends excellent stamina, flexibility and neuro-muscular co-ordination. The body and mind work in perfect unison. So, the workshop is essential for dancers, sportspersons, martial artists, theatre folk and actors, since their primary tool of communication is their body. But the workshop is open to anyone over 15," says Master Belraj in an email interview.u00a0

He conducted a similar workshop in Mumbai last year, and heartened by the enthused response, decided to do an encore. "There were theatre actors, dancers, karate students, professionals, even middle-aged women who landed up. There are no pre-requisites," he says.

Dancers benefit from the practice. In the 14 years since he began teaching Kalari, Master Belraj has trained Odissi danseuse Dona Ganguly (cricketer Saurav Ganguly's wife), Bharatanatyam danseuse Vasundaradorai Swami, and Australia-based contemporary dancer Padma Menon, beside thousands at various institutions across the country.

At this workshop, Master Belraj will give lessons in jumps, kicks, locking, striking and self-defence techniques. A revitalising Ayurvedic Kalari massage will open up energy pathways, stimulate and improve blood circulation in nerve endings and muscles and awaken the body's self-healing mechanism. Ready?

The workshop will be held from May 25 to June 3 between 8 am to 10 am at PL Deshpande Auditorium, Prabhadevi, 5 pm to 7 pm. And from 7.45 pm to 9.45 pm at Bhavan's College, Andheri.
Fee: Rs 2,200.
Limited seats To register, call Anuja Kale on +91-99870-03549 or email mumbai.kalariworkshop@gmail.com